Democracy

Presenter: Ms. L. TurbettSlides Made By: Daniel Fraser

What is Democracy?

According to the Merriam- Webster dictionary, democracy is essentially “a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting”

Idea of democracy began in ancient Greece

It was also used by Iroquois people

Democracy in Ancient Greece

Citizens met in public places, to talk about issues and reach decisions

Citizens were only male, not female or slaves (usage of slaves = not a true democracy)

These Greeks named this system democracy

Democracy meant “ ruled by the people, for the people”

Iroquois Democracy

Existed before Europeans came to North America

League of Iroquois was made at the end of the 1500s, to end fighting between different tribes

League made by Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca people

Tuscaora people joined later League members were allies ( politically,

military) but managed their own society

How Iroquois Democracy Worked

League governed by council of 50 members (Sachmes)

Each nation had 8-14 representatives

When a Sachem died, the oldest woman in the clan choose the successor

Positions of the council were handed down

How Iroquois Democracy Worked Continued

Each fall, the council members met in Onondaga

Issues were presented, discussed, and decided on before going on to the next one

Council tried to make the decisions unanimous

If a unanimous decision could not be met, each nation was free to do what it wanted instead

Map of Iroquois Tribe Locations

The Chiefs

Every nation had chiefs who would rule for life

Chiefs were elected, and family members elected them

These chiefs were the governors for their nation

They were treated more like helpers, rather than people who had power

If people disliked the chiefs actions, they could remove him from that position

Types of Democracy

There are two types of democracy Direct and Representative

democracy

Direct Democracy

Every person votes on an issue May occur in small communities were

people debate and decided on issues Also may occur in unions, where members

must express their opinions and vote on problems

May happen on a large scale (country, province) by having a referendum

For example, Scotland's people recently voted in a referendum to stay within the UK rather than becoming an independent country

Representative Democracy

People elect a person to represent their views

This is part of Canada’s government system, it is a very common form throughout the world

It is an efficent system since it would take to long for every one to make a decision for every issue

How Does Representative Democracy Work in Canada?

People vote for a person to represent them (usually part of a political party)

They meet in Ottawa to debate issues, create polices, and make laws for us

These people are called politicians and this is their full time job

Government In Canada

Canada’s government is a constitutional monarchy( king or queen)

Under Canada’s constitution, our monarch has little power

The monarch is a figure head while we actually practice a representative democracy

Our Prime Minister of Canada is Stephen Harper

Currently in other countries(Saudi Arabia, Qatar) and throughout history, the monarch was the only person making the decisions